Nigeria: Kumuyi's Idiosyncrasies and Exploits

Dr. W.F. Kumuyi, a former Mathematics lecturer at the University of Lagos, is the General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry. He is a holiness preacher par excellence and, undoubtedly, one of the most significant church leaders in the world today.

There is no denying the fact that Dr. Willam Folorunso Kumuyi is God's anointed servant and a persuasive preacher. His messages are Bible-based and his public prayers are simple, short and straight-forward. He is a dynamic pastor, international evangelist, a chosen apostle and an expository teacher of God's word. He teaches with clarity, precision and authority, but he is not an authoritarian. He is a voracious reader, prolific writer, successful wrestler in prayer, firm, focused and humble.

While working as a Mathematics lecturer with the University of Lagos, Kumuyi was invited by the Christian Union of the University of Ibadan (UI) for a three-day preaching assignment in 1974. He chose to stay with one of the students of the university throughout the programme, instead of lodging in a hotel.

In his remarks, one of the students of UI at that time, Mr. Daisi Akinyelu, who later became the national leader of Deeper Life Campus Fellowship, said: "I thought Kumuyi was a student like me, but when I learnt that he was a lecturer at Unilag, I understood his humility." Even though his denomination and followers are rich enough to provide him with a private jet, Kumuyi travels by public means of transportation from one city to another in Nigeria, Africa, Asia, Europe and America, to spread the gospel to people.

Kumuyi is a tireless labourer in God's vineyard. In the 1980s, for instance, he used to conduct five services each Sunday: 7 a.m., 9.30 a.m., 12 noon, 2.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. at the Deeper Life Bible Church, Gbagada-Lagos. He does not tolerate lip service, indolence, duplicity, wantonness and worldly revelry in his congregation.

The spread of Deeper Life churches within and outside Nigeria is accomplished through crusades and exploits by W.F. Kumuyi. In 1979, for instance, Ghanaian Christians invited him to lead a crusade after which they started Deeper Life Bible study fellowship in Kumasi with about thirty members. Today, Deeper Life Bible Churches are in different parts of Ghana, as well as in other African countries, Asia, Europe and America.

At the Benin Miracle Service in Bendel State (now Edo State) in July 1988, Pastor Kumuyi while praying, said: "If you have short leg or short hand ... be healed." As he was praying, the legs were growing out and the people started clapping and rejoicing.

Apart from the miracle of short legs growing to normal size, God also healed many people through handkerchiefs sent to Kumuyi for prayers. For instance, a nurse took an handkerchief from a woman admitted in a hospital at Aba in 1985 because of 'issue of blood' (excessive bleeding) to Pastor Kumuyi who was preaching in the town that week. Kumuyi prayed over the handkerchief, the nurse took it to the sick woman and the bleeding stopped.

Still on exploits during Kumuyi's ministrations, a 72-year-old Malian woman was healed of blindness. The spectacular miracle happened in Abidjan, Cote D" Ivoire where Kumuyi held a Great Miracle Crusade in December 1989 for people from nine West African French-speaking countries.

The woman was blind at the age of twelve, got married when she was matured and had six children. While Kumuiyi was praying at the crusade, she was healed of her 60-year-old blindness. Dancing and praising God, she exclaimed: "If I go back to Mali, I will now see and appreciate my six children."

And at his first miracle crusade in Abuja in September 1994, a middle-aged lady known as Sister Yemisi, testified that a powerful wind descended and pulled off her hunch back while Kumuyi was praying for the sick.

Worthy of note is that W.F. Kumuyi started Deeper Life Bible Church as a Bible Study Group in his official residence (Flat 2), University of Lagos in 1973 with only fifteen adults but resigned from his lecturing post in April 1983 to devote his full energy to Deeper Life.

Kumuyi who was married to Sister Abiodun (his late wife) in 1980 and has two sons: Jerry and John, is now happily married to a virtuous woman, Sister Esther. He is, undoubtedly, one of the most significant church leaders in the world today.

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